


Reckless

by goldenafterglow



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Girl Next Door Betty Cooper, Loss of Virginity, Romance, Self-Harm, Sexual Content, Southside Serpent Jughead Jones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-14 05:28:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,425
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29413419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldenafterglow/pseuds/goldenafterglow
Summary: Betty Cooper was tired of keeping up the perfect Girl Next-Door facade.Tired of her boring routine, controlling mother, and the lack of excitementin her life. She was desperate for a change, a change so drastic it wouldknock her off her feet.Until it quite literally does, when a certain Southside bad boycomes into her life and changes everything.
Relationships: Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 15
Kudos: 43





	1. You Stood There in Front of Me

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, welcome to my first ever Bughead fanfic! Sadly, most of my favorite Girl Next-Door Betty/Bad Boy Jug fics are no longer gracing the internet with their presence, so I was bored and decided to write one of my own. 
> 
> I'm very inspired by Taylor Swift songs, so this is kind of based on 'Sparks Fly' but not entirely. I suggest anyone who hasn't heard the song before listen to it, because it's an amazing song and will really set the mood for this fic. 
> 
> I hope you like it, thank you for reading :)

Betty Cooper met Jughead Jones on a Thursday. 

A gloomy, dreadful afternoon in the parking lot of Riverdale High. He stood there, leaning against his motorcycle parked right outside the double doors. A cigarette was lit in his hands, which he would bring between his lips every now and then. His dark, midnight hair sat perfectly on his head, one single curl standing out amongst the others, twirling down perfectly. 

Betty found herself staring at him, dumbfounded. She was captivated by the leather-clad figure standing just feet away from her. She had never been in the presence of a Southside Serpent before, and a chill ran through her as she made the revelation.

“What’s he doing here?” Her best friend, Kevin, asked in a hushed tone.

“More importantly, _who _is he?” Betty whispered underneath her breath.__

____

__

Veronica, the queen of everything having to do with gossip, was the first to answer. 

“That’s Jughead Jones. The Serpent Prince, of course.” 

“Well, why is the _Serpent Prince _at Riverdale High?” Kevin asked once again, his hand finding its place on his hip.__

____

__

“He’s dating Toni Topaz, the new transfer girl in my science class. We’ve been doing a lot of our labs together, so I’ve been hearing a lot about her and her little bad boy. He’s probably picking her up from school, how adorable!” Veronica gushed. 

Betty readjusted her bookbag on her shoulder, suddenly feeling guilty for how attractive she found this mysterious guy, who she had just found out apparently wasn’t available. Not that she had any business crushing on a Serpent, anyway. Her mother and father would murder Betty if they knew she was having such thoughts about the leather-jacket-wearing, cigarette-smoking gang member. 

“Toni Topaz is dating a Serpent?” Kevin queried, the surprise evident in his voice. 

“She most certainly is.” Veronica said. “Oh, look, here she comes now!”

From the other set of double doors, Toni Topaz came walking out, her bag hanging from her shoulder. She wore a pretty revealing crop top, one that Betty would be hanged for if she ever dared putting on. She had holes and rips in her black jeans, and black booties that were a little worn out. The pink highlights in her hair complimented her well, and Betty couldn’t help but feel envious of the girl making her way over to Jughead Jones. She felt unbelievably boring in her pastel pink sweater and simple jeans, her tight ponytail sitting high on her head. As Toni approached her boyfriend, the apparent _Serpent Prince _, he put out the cigarette at his feet and stood from his bike, a smirk making its way to his face as he embraced his girlfriend.__

____

____

“That is a good-looking couple if I’ve ever seen one.” Kevin observed, making Betty’s hand twitch at her side. 

“Let’s go say hi!” Veronica suggested, making her way over to the couple before either Kevin or Betty could protest. Betty felt the bile rise in her throat, her nerves beginning to eat away at her stomach. 

_Why are you nervous, Betty? Not because he was a Serpent, no. He was extremely out of this world attractive, yes. But he was also a taken man, so I didn’t have to worry about being awkward around him. I most likely won’t even have to say more than a few words to him. ___

____

____

“Toni, hey!” Veronica yelled across the parking lot, her heels clicking against the pavement loudly. 

Toni turned around at the sound of her name, pulling the slightest bit away from Jughead with a smile on her face. 

“Hey, Veronica.” She waved. “What’s up?” 

“I just wanted to double check if we had science homework or not. Also, these are my friends, Kevin and Betty.” She introduced, waving a hand towards the stiff and awkward-looking pair. 

“Oh, nice to meet you guys.” Toni smiled sweetly. “This is Jughead, my boyfriend. Veronica is my friend from class, Jug. Also, no, I don’t think we had any science homework.”

Up close, Betty could see how blue Jughead’s eyes were. She almost flinched when he looked at her, the two making eye contact for longer than she was comfortable with. She hated to admit it, but he had the prettiest eyes she had ever seen. Betty, what the fuck are you saying? His girlfriend is standing right next to him. 

“Nice to meet you all.” He nodded at the three, wrapping a protective arm around his girlfriend’s waist. 

“You too, Jughead.” Veronica spoke for all of them before redirecting her attention to Toni. “So, Toni, have you thought anymore about what I said about joining the River Vixens?” 

Betty was surprised that Veronica had asked Toni to try out for the cheerleading team. She had only just transferred to Riverdale High a week ago, and while Betty had only seen her around a handful of times in the hallway, she wasn’t aware her best friend was close enough to the new girl to be suggesting she join the cheerleading team with them. 

“The cheerleading team?” Jughead asked, a look of amusement making its way to his face. 

“Yeah, Jug. Veronica told me about the tryouts next week.” Toni informed him, before turning her attention back to the raven-haired girl. “I’m still thinking about it, but I’ll let you know soon.” 

“Perfect.” Veronica smiled. “Toni, you would be the perfect addition to our squad. I already know Cheryl will love you.” 

Toni smiled, looking embarrassed to be talking about this in front of her boyfriend. Betty wondered why. Was he not the supportive type? Would he make fun of her? He seemed so amused at just the suggestion of her being on the River Vixens. _Why do you care, Betty? It’s not your life. ___

____

____

“Well, we should get going now.” Toni announced, looking up at Jughead who nodded alongside her. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Veronica. Nice meeting you guys.” She told Kevin and Betty. 

Jughead hopped on his bike first, Toni adjusting the helmet on her head before getting on behind him. A dark layer of clouds sat in the sky, the three best friends continuing their trek to Kevin’s car as the motorcycle pulled out of the parking lot. 

“He is easily the most intimidating man I have ever come across.” Kevin remarked once they were out of sight. 

“While that might be true, you can’t deny how cute they are together.” Veronica replied. 

“How did they even meet?” Betty questioned as they approached the car, walking over to the passenger’s side. 

“She was born and raised in the Southside, as was he, obviously.” Veronica informed them. “She had to transfer to Riverdale High because her dad got a new job here, or something. She told me they’ve been together for a few years now, even though he’s a bit older than us. Like twenty-one, I think she said.”

“Well, what a bold move. Making your Southside Serpent boyfriend pick you up from school in the Northside on his big bad motorcycle wearing the signature leather jacket belonging to a gang.” Kevin snickered, settling into the driver’s side of his Jeep. 

“While he might be in a gang, that doesn’t make him a bad person.” Betty defended. 

“I’m not saying anything bad about him, Betty. Just an interesting way of making an entrance, or rather exit, as the new girl.” Kevin responded, pulling out of the parking lot. 

The two gossip-obsessed friends talked some more about it as they began driving home, but Betty remained silent the rest of the drive. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------

Jughead parked his bike outside the White Wyrm just as it began to drizzle. 

He was grateful that his girlfriend was able to spend some time with him after school, as she had been too overwhelmed with the amount of schoolwork she had to catch up on to see him for the last week. Ever since she moved to the Northside, he had been seeing less and less of her for obvious reasons. There was a greater distance between them now, meaning that the ride from his apartment above the Wyrm to her house was no longer just a drive down the street. He was also caught up with doing business stuff for the Serpents, as his job had become increasingly more demanding once he became leader after his dad went to jail. To top it all off, his girlfriend’s father hates him and doesn’t want his daughter to be “corrupted” by the Serpent Prince any longer.

With her having a strict father, his time with Toni was limited. He was not only amused by the thought of Toni joining the cheerleading team, but also irritated by the fact that he would be seeing even less of his girlfriend.

“Jug, I promise it wouldn’t be a bad thing. You could come to my practices and come see me at all of the games.” She assured him once they were sitting down on the couch in his apartment. 

He sneered. “Sure, Toni. Let’s just imagine me, a Serpent, being at a Riverdale High football game, where the entire team, as well as all of the Northside parents in the stands, hate my guts. Now, wouldn’t that be a sight for sore eyes?” 

“You wouldn’t have to sit in the stands, Jug.” Toni told him, rolling her eyes at her boyfriend. “You could admire me from afar.” 

Jughead and Toni had been together for the last two and a half years. She was his first serious girlfriend, also the first girl he really cared about. Their relationship meant a lot to him, and it was even more special because the two had known each other since childhood, having grown up on the Southside together. Prior to dating her, he never really cared much about girls. Everything to him, at the time, was just about sex. But then came Toni. 

He worried about their relationship. He didn’t want it to die out, and with the way things were going at the moment he wasn’t positive that it wouldn’t happen sometime soon. 

“Toni, it’s your life. You can do whatever you want with it. But things are already so difficult as it is, and I will tell you right now that hell would freeze over before you ever catch me attending a Riverdale High football game willingly.” 

“Don’t be so dramatic, Jug.” She replied. “Besides, I haven’t even made the decision yet. Nothing’s final.”

As she propped her feet up on the coffee table in front of them, browsing through the channels for a movie to watch, Jughead’s mind wandered to the blonde girl from the parking lot. 

Betty was her name, wasn’t it? She looked like the typical picture-perfect Riverdale High prom queen. While she was probably nice, and she sure was pretty, Jughead didn’t want Toni to become a Northside Princess like her. He wanted to be with the Toni that used to roll around in the dirt with him, the Toni who stood up for what she wanted and what she believed in, the Toni who knows what it’s like to grow up in a cramped trailer with a broken heater and no hot water. 

He couldn’t help but feel like that Toni was inevitably slipping away from him, and she would soon be nowhere to be found.

The rest of their evening was spent wrapped up in each other’s arms, cherishing the little time they had left together. 

\-------------------------------------------------------  
Betty looked out of the window of her living room, rain droplets pelting against the glass soothingly. She had finished all of her homework for the night and was now cuddled up on the couch, reading a book. Her stomach grumbled loudly, the grilled chicken and steamed broccoli that her mother had provided her for dinner doing nothing to satisfy her. 

Betty was caught up in her head. For some reason, she couldn’t stop thinking about the tall, dark, and handsome man that had been standing outside Riverdale High just a few hours ago. He was attractive, way more attractive than any guy she had been interested in before. Well, the only guy she’d ever really been interested in is Archie, her next-door neighbor. That crush had lasted for years, and somehow those years she spent pining felt like nothing compared to the thoughts she was having about Jughead Jones for the last few hours. 

She wasn’t sure what to make of it. The thoughts she was having were pathetic. To make matter’s worse, she couldn’t even vent to anyone about how she was feeling. Her parents would disown her, for obvious reasons. Veronica was becoming close with his _damn girlfriend _, so there was no chance she could even mention it to her. Kevin? Well, maybe. But then again, what was there to even tell?__

____

____

The man was attractive, yes. But she was sure that any teenage girl in the entirety of Riverdale, northside or southside, would be attracted to him. She wouldn’t have to see him a lot anyway, so it’s not like her little crush would be getting anywhere. Unless it developed into something more, she decided she would just ignore it for now. 

The sound of her mother’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. “Elizabeth, it’s getting late. You need to get ready for bed.”

Betty fought the urge to roll her eyes. It was barely 10PM, and she was 17 years old for crying out loud. She was sick of her mother controlling everything in her life. What she ate, what she wore, what friends she had, what time she went to sleep. Every little thing about Betty’s life was controlled by Alice Cooper. The woman sure knew how to make her children’s lives miserable. Instead of standing up for herself like she desperately wanted to, she got up from her spot on the couch and closed her book shut. 

“Make sure you get up early to go for a run, Elizabeth.” Her mother hushed as she walked past her on the way upstairs. “You certainly could use the exercise.”

She didn’t know whether to laugh or scream. She remained quiet as she ascended the stairs, heading straight to her room for the night. How was her mother going to underfeed her, and then suggest she was gaining weight? The urge to scream into her pillow was strong, but she dug her nails into the palm of her hands instead. 

Betty Cooper was sick of her life. 

So incredibly sick of it.


	2. Close Enough to Touch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't going to post chapter two so soon, but I figured, why not?
> 
> Happy Valentine's Day :)

The next day, Betty was awoken by the shrilling sound of her alarm. 

She groaned in annoyance, immediately turning it off before sitting up in her bed. It was 5:30, and since she knew her mother would crucify her if she didn’t, she got up to get ready for her morning run. 

To be completely honest, it wasn’t something Betty hated doing. In fact, there was a sense of peace that came along with going for a run every morning by herself. It allowed her time to clear her mind and to get her ready for the upcoming day. What she didn’t like about it was her mother forcing her to do it to stay in shape. Alice Cooper couldn’t handle the idea of her daughter being anything less than perfect. 

She got on her workout clothes, plugged her headphones into her phone and made her way outside. 

Her mother was sitting at the kitchen table, a cup of coffee in front of her and both hands typing away speedily on her laptop. 

“Good morning, Elizabeth.” Her mother greeted her. “You need to be ready before 7:30 if you want a ride to school. There’s a fruit cup in the fridge for when you get back from your run.”

“I’ll walk, thanks.” Betty mumbled, ignoring the last part of that sentence. 

She jogged for thirty minutes, circling her street and the surrounding ones. She forced herself to stop thinking about Jughead, turning the volume up on her phone to distract herself. 

Once she came back, she ignored her mother and went straight upstairs to shower. She decided she would wait for Alice to leave to pour herself a bowl of cereal, knowing that the fruit cup in the fridge would do absolutely nothing to fuel her hunger. 

At 7:30 on the dot, the front door closed shut, signaling her mother’s departure. She gathered her bookbag and went down to the kitchen. She made herself a cup of coffee, poured a bowl of delicious sugary cereal, and sat down at the table to text Kevin. 

**Betty: Is there any way you could give me a ride to school Kev?**

********

********

__**Kevin: Be there in five, Betty Boop! ******__

********

****

____\-------------------------------------------------  
The school day was going by agonizingly slow. All of her classes were painful and torturous, not the best way for a Friday to be going. It wasn’t until lunch that Betty perked up. _ _ _ _

____“Exciting news!” Veronica announced at the table, clapping her hands together excitedly._ _ _ _

____“What now? You finally brought a real meal to lunch instead of a salad?” Kevin asked sarcastically, taking a sip from his water bottle._ _ _ _

____“No, silly. Salads are good for the soul.” She responded sassily. “Toni finally agreed to try out for the River Vixens!”_ _ _ _

____“How exciting!” Kevin cheered._ _ _ _

____“I know, right?” Veronica smiled. “I’m going to help her practice the routine all weekend. And to celebrate this exciting news, we’re all going to Pop’s for dinner tonight!”_ _ _ _

____“Who’s we, exactly?” Betty questioned._ _ _ _

____“You, me, Kevin, Toni and Jughead!” She announced._ _ _ _

____Betty almost spit out a mouthful of her tuna sandwich. Jughead?_ _ _ _

____“Sorry, no can do.” Kevin spoke. “I’ve gotta help my dad out with something tonight.”_ _ _ _

____“You’re so lame!” Veronica exclaimed, digging her fork through a green leaf. “Who would turn down burgers and milkshakes?”_ _ _ _

____“I should really stay home and study.” Betty interrupted, trying to avoid eye contact with her raven-haired best friend who she knew wouldn’t take no for an answer. “I have a Calculus test on Monday.”_ _ _ _

____Veronica rolled her eyes at her best friend’s poor excuse. “There is no way you aren’t coming tonight, I will drag you by your perfect blonde ponytail if I have to. We will all be in a booth at Pop’s at 7PM sharp, no later.”_ _ _ _

____Betty felt as though she might vomit at the thought of having dinner with Jughead Jones and his girlfriend. Celebration or not, it sounded like a terrible idea and a recipe for disaster. Although she didn’t discriminate, there was no way it would be a good look for her to be in a booth at Pop’s with the leader of the Southside Serpents. If word got around and Alice or Hal found out, Betty would never see the light of day again._ _ _ _

____She knew there was no way of getting around it, so she remained quiet and only opened her mouth to finish off the rest of her sandwich._ _ _ _

____\---------------------------------------------------------------  
Betty’s stomach felt queasy as she awaited Veronica’s arrival. She sat at the vanity in her room, staring at her reflection. She fixed the few baby hairs that had gotten loose from her ponytail and swiped some lip gloss across her lips in an attempt to feel prettier. She looked down at her outfit, a boring white top with a pink cardigan thrown over it. She was tempted to put on one of her pretty new skirts but decided against it and opted for her usual jeans to keep herself warm with the sudden drop in weather. The flats on her feet were comfortable, not as comfortable as her sneakers but she knew they wouldn’t look flattering with her outfit._ _ _ _

____Betty couldn’t remember a time when she felt more insecure than she did in that moment._ _ _ _

____Her phone dinged, a text from Veronica signaling that she was outside. She took a deep breath and grabbed her bag, taking one last glance in the mirror before leaving her room and shutting the door._ _ _ _

____“Mom, I’m leaving!” She shouted once she got to the bottom of the stairs._ _ _ _

____Her mother appeared from the kitchen. “Make sure you don’t eat too much, Elizabeth. All of that diner food is pure grease. And make sure you’re home by curfew. 9PM. Not a minute later.”_ _ _ _

____“Alright, Mom.” Betty complied, tapping her foot impatiently._ _ _ _

____“Have a nice time, sweetie.” Alice told her, leaving a kiss on her forehead._ _ _ _

____Betty forced a smile, tugging at the sleeves of her cardigan before making her way to the front door._ _ _ _

____When she got outside, Veronica’s driver was holding the door open for her. She smiled and thanked him, even though she really wanted to roll her eyes at the fact that her best friend had her own personal driver. It boggled Betty’s mind how opposite they were._ _ _ _

____“Are you excited?” Veronica asked once her friend sat in the seat next to her. “I’m so excited!”_ _ _ _

____Betty faked yet another smile, nodding her head in an attempt to look as enthusiastic as her friend._ _ _ _

____The drive to Pop’s was less than five minutes, and Betty couldn’t help the butterflies floating around in her stomach and the nausea making its way throughout her body. She almost felt physically ill and wondered how she was going to keep her dinner down._ _ _ _

____Her stomach completely dropped when they pulled into the parking lot of Pop’s, immediately spotting the motorcycle parked out the front. She checked her phone, noting that they were 5 minutes early. She took a glance at herself in her phone’s camera, taking a deep breath before following Veronica out of the car._ _ _ _

____\----------------------------------------------------------------_ _ _ _

____Jughead sat in the back corner booth of Pop’s, directly next to Toni. As they awaited her friends from school, he took a glance at the menu in front of him, even though he already knew what he was going to order. A burger with everything on it, chili cheese fries, and a double chocolate milkshake._ _ _ _

____“How are we earlier than them?” He asked grumpily, growing impatient as he took another look at the clock._ _ _ _

____He wasn’t in the best of moods, as the entire point of this dinner was to celebrate Toni’s decision to try out for Riverdale High’s cheerleading team. He was unhappy with her decision, and though he wouldn’t tell her this, she definitely knew by the way he was acting. Toni didn’t answer his question, just rolling her eyes and slapping her menu down on the table. She didn’t have much of an appetite but decided she would get a vanilla milkshake and share some of Jughead’s fries._ _ _ _

____“What’s your problem?” He questioned her as she scooched farther away from him._ _ _ _

____“What’s my problem? You’re the one with a problem, Jughead. You’ve been nasty to me ever since I told you we were coming here. I know you’re not thrilled about my decision, and I know you may not enjoy the company of my friend and her friends, but can you at least pretend to be happy for me?” She spit out angrily, annoyed with her boyfriend’s behavior._ _ _ _

____He remained quiet, knowing if he opened his mouth again that he would only be starting World War III._ _ _ _

____Just then, the bell above the door chimed, signaling their arrival. Jughead and Toni looked up, Toni waving her hand enthusiastically at Veronica and Betty to come join them._ _ _ _

____“Ronnie!” Toni said excitedly, jumping out of her seat to give her friend a hug. She turned to Betty, bringing her in for a hug as well which left the blonde girl surprised. “Nice to see you, Betty!”_ _ _ _

____“You too, Toni.” She responded hesitantly, glancing at Jughead who was already staring her down._ _ _ _

____Betty climbed in the booth opposite them first, Veronica sliding in after._ _ _ _

____“Did you guys order already?” Veronica asked them, looking around for their waiter._ _ _ _

____“Nope.” Jughead spoke up, his first words since they came in. His tone was hostile and irritated, but Veronica ignored it and turned to Betty._ _ _ _

____“Do you know what you’re getting?” She asked her best friend._ _ _ _

____“My usual order,” Betty replied, giving her a small smile._ _ _ _

____“What’s your usual order?” Toni asked curiously._ _ _ _

____“Grilled cheese with fries, and a strawberry milkshake.” Betty answered, trying to ignore the vicious grip that Jughead’s eyes had on her._ _ _ _

____“Strawberry milkshake?” Jughead questioned as if the idea of her ordering a strawberry milkshake disgusted him._ _ _ _

____“What?” Betty shrugged. “You don’t like them?”_ _ _ _

____“Strawberry milkshakes should be made a sin.” He said, sitting up straighter in his seat as they began to converse. “Only chocolate and vanilla belong in a milkshake.”_ _ _ _

____“Hey, I love strawberry milkshakes. Don’t knock it till you try it.” She told him, her voice surprisingly not as shaky as she thought it would be around him._ _ _ _

____Once they ordered their food, Veronica and Toni began talking about cheerleading. Although Betty was on the team herself, and she loved it desperately, she had absolutely no interest in discussing it at that moment. She looked at Jughead, who looked just as bored as her. The stony look on his face made her repress the smile she was going to give him, trying her best to remain neutral around him. She couldn’t help but think about how beautiful his face was up close. His eyes were the type of blue you could drown in, and he had a littering of freckles scattered around his face. His hair was getting messy from continuously running through it with his fingers, and she had to stop herself from drooling as she noted his long, slender fingers._ _ _ _

____Not too long later they got their food, Toni sipping on her vanilla milkshake and Veronica munching on an onion ring as they discussed Cheryl’s position as Captain of the cheer team. Betty was taking small bites of her grilled cheese, trying not to look like a pig in front of the guy across from her._ _ _ _

____However, she didn’t have much to be concerned about as the man himself was shoving his own burger into his mouth as if he had never eaten before. She didn’t want to be rude by staring at him and his table manners, so she busied herself with taking a sip of her milkshake._ _ _ _

____“Is it as disgusting as I would imagine it is?” He asked her as he swallowed the last bite of his burger._ _ _ _

____“Not nearly as disgusting as those chili cheese fries.” She bit back in a teasing manner._ _ _ _

____“How could one not like chili cheese fries, but like a strawberry milkshake? You really don’t make much sense, Betty Cooper.”_ _ _ _

____Betty’s stomach fluttered as he said her full name. A blush made its way to her cheeks, and she tried embarrassingly hard to hide it. “It’s easy. Strawberry flavored things are delicious, chili cheese flavored things, well, not so much.”_ _ _ _

____“Jug, stop making fun of her love for strawberry milkshakes.” Toni butted into the conversation, hitting her elbow into her boyfriend’s side. “Strawberry milkshakes totally fit Betty’s brand.”_ _ _ _

____“I have a brand?” Betty questioned._ _ _ _

____“Well, your entire essence just screams the color pink. You’re like, the perfect comparison to a strawberry milkshake. Everything about you is colorful and bright.” Toni replied, hoping she wasn’t offending the blonde girl with her words._ _ _ _

____Betty laughed. “I guess you’re right.”_ _ _ _

____After that, the four of them began talking aimlessly about anything and everything. Random topics just kept being brought up, and Betty’s eyes almost flew out of her head as she realized the time._ _ _ _

____“It’s 8:45 already?” She asked in a panic._ _ _ _

____“Yeah, why?” Toni uttered._ _ _ _

____“I have to be home by 9, my mom is going to absolutely kill me!” She exclaimed worriedly._ _ _ _

____“Shit, Betty, I’m so sorry, I forgot!” Veronica told her. “There’s no way, even if I call the driver now, you won’t be home by 9.”_ _ _ _

____“Jughead could just drop you off at home quickly and then come back to get me.” Toni offered, glancing at Jughead who nodded alongside her._ _ _ _

____“That’s really sweet of you to offer, but no way! I can’t get on that motorcycle, do you think I have a death wish?” Betty questioned._ _ _ _

____“Betty, it’s really your only option if you want to make it back home before Alice Cooper murders you with her bare hands.” Veronica pointed out._ _ _ _

____She sighed, knowing Veronica was right. As petrified as she was about getting on a motorcycle with Jughead, she was even more scared about the inevitable wrath of Alice Cooper._ _ _ _

____“Okay. fine.” She agreed. She got out a twenty-dollar bill from her bag, laying it on the table before both Veronica and Toni stood up to let the two of them out of their seats. “Thanks for dinner, guys, I had fun.”_ _ _ _

____“Me too! We should do this more often.” Toni suggested as she gave Betty a hug goodbye.  
Betty followed Jughead outside to his motorcycle, the night sky completely dark now with nothing but the illumination of the moon and the bright lights outside of Pop’s. _ _ _ _

____“Put this on.” Jughead ordered, giving her the helmet._ _ _ _

____She complied, but then frowned. “What about you? Don’t you need a helmet?”_ _ _ _

____“I’ll be fine.” He muttered. “Get on, you don’t have much time left.”_ _ _ _

____Betty’s legs felt shaky as she straddled the bike, his proximity making her extremely lightheaded. He smelled of cigarettes and a distinct cologne, and it was making Betty’s head spin. She lightly wrapped her arms around his torso, trying her best to not make this awkward._ _ _ _

____“You’re going to have to hold on tighter, unless you’d rather fly off the bike.” He warned as he started the engine up._ _ _ _

____She obeyed, gripping him tightly. As he was about to leave the parking lot, she spoke up. “I live on Elm Street, but you have to drop me off down the block. My mom can’t hear or see me on this thing.”_ _ _ _

____A slight smirk graced his face, shaking his head in amusement before beginning to pull out of the parking lot._ _ _ _

____As they began speeding down the streets of Riverdale, Betty couldn’t believe the feeling of exhilaration and freedom that coursed throughout her body. She imagined this would be a lot scarier than it actually was, but with Jughead, she had never felt safer, weirdly enough. Before she knew it, he was turning down her street and came to a halt at the top of it. As he pulled over, Betty began removing the helmet from her head and against her better wishes, loosened her grip on the man in front of her._ _ _ _

____She stepped off the bike, handing him the helmet back before glancing at the time. 8:55PM. Just in time._ _ _ _

____“Thank you, Jughead. I owe you big time.” She told him, watching as his stony face turned into a smug one._ _ _ _

____“Well, I guess we’ll be seeing a lot of each other now, since Toni’s joining the cheer team. Maybe we could argue some more about how repulsive strawberry milkshakes are, and maybe I’ll even convince you to like chili cheese fries.” He suggested, raising an eyebrow._ _ _ _

____“That’s one thing you’ll never accomplish.” She laughed, beginning to walk backwards to make it to her house in time. “Goodnight, Jughead.”_ _ _ _

____“Goodnight, Betty Cooper.”_ _ _ _


	3. Close Enough to Hope You Couldn't See What I Was Thinking Of

“I’m sorry, what did you just say?” 

Kevin’s shriek echoed throughout Betty’s room. She flinched at the sound, taking her phone away from her ear to protect her eardrums. She held back the laugh that was fighting to come out from the sound of her best friend’s bewildered tone. 

“You heard me, Kevin.” Betty said. 

“You rode on a _motorcycle? _No, no, no. Not just _any _motorcycle, but fucking Jughead Jones’ motorcycle! You, as in Betty Cooper?” He interrogated, the surprise evident in his voice.____

____“Yes, Kevin.” She responded. “He gave me a ride home. Otherwise, I would’ve missed curfew and would’ve been bolted up in my room for the rest of my life.”_ _ _ _

____“This is crazy!” He exclaimed. “You were on Jughead Jones’ motorcycle. Like, the Serpent Prince, Jughead Jones. Betty, do you understand how absolutely insane that is?”_ _ _ _

____“Kevin, you’re being so dramatic.” Betty giggled. “It’s really not that big of a deal. He’s a Serpent, yes, but he was super sweet to me and nowhere near as scary as I thought.”_ _ _ _

____“Betty, we will be discussing this further on Monday.”_ _ _ _

____He hung up the phone with perfect timing, as just then Alice Cooper screamed to her daughter from the bottom of the stairs. “Elizabeth! Dinner is ready!”_ _ _ _

____Betty stood up from her bed, straightening out the wrinkles in her top that appeared there from laying down. She had spent all day studying for her Calculus exam and it was now approaching 6PM, and Betty was exhausted. Dealing with both of her parents at the dinner table was the last thing she wanted to do. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for what might happen downstairs._ _ _ _

____Her father was sitting at the head of the table, her mother next to him and a plate set up across from her for Betty. She wrinkled her nose as she looked down at her plate, her mother having made her some kind of tofu scramble. She looked at her dad’s plate, which held a piece of steak and some vegetables around it. She wanted to vomit at the thought of having tofu scramble for dinner, but she sat down with a smile and thanked her mother anyway._ _ _ _

____“Elizabeth, have you been studying for your Calculus exam?” Alice asked, bringing a piece of broccoli to her mouth._ _ _ _

____“Yes, Mom.” Betty replied. “I have been all day.”_ _ _ _

____“Good. You’ve been slacking lately and you need to bring your grades up. It’s almost time to start applying for college, you know.” She reminded her._ _ _ _

____“My grades are fine, Mom. Just because I get a 95 instead of 100 does not mean I’m slacking, it means I’m human.” Betty defended herself._ _ _ _

____“Don’t talk back to me.” Alice snapped. “Your brain is probably fried from all of that greasy garbage you ate last night. What did I tell you about watching what you eat?”_ _ _ _

____Underneath the table, Betty’s nails began forming their crescent shapes into her palms. Her frustration with her mother was only getting worse every day, and Betty didn’t know how much more she could take._ _ _ _

____“Alice, leave it alone.” Hal butted in, giving his daughter a sympathetic look. He may not be the father of the year, but he certainly wasn’t cruel enough to deprive his daughter of real food._ _ _ _

____She gave him a small smile, her stomach turning as she looked down at her plate again. She was sure that if she ate whatever concoction her mother put together, she wouldn’t be able to keep it down._ _ _ _

____“Polly contacted me, she said she wants to visit next weekend.” Alice informed her, changing the subject._ _ _ _

____Polly, Betty’s older sister, was away at college. She didn’t visit very often, so when she did, Betty took advantage of the time with her sister. Hearing this news was probably the only good thing about her day so far._ _ _ _

____“That’s good news.” Betty spoke excitedly._ _ _ _

____“Hardly. It means she has something to tell us. If I find out that she dropped out of school, or worse, she’s pregnant, she’s getting shipped away.”_ _ _ _

____“Shipped away?” Betty asked, confusion lacing her tone._ _ _ _

____“Yes, _away _. Somewhere far, far away from here where she can get professional help. So, help me God if my eldest daughter does something stupid like that and ruins her life. I won’t condone that type of behavior.”___ _ _ _

______Betty was getting angry. Did her mother really think that little of her sister to assume she would be stupid and irresponsible enough to get pregnant or dropout of school? For someone who tried to make her daughters be as perfect as possible, she really didn’t have high expectations for them. “Mom, Polly finally wants to visit us and you have to insult her intelligence like that? Maybe that’s why she never comes to see us anymore. You make our lives miserable!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Alice gasped. “Elizabeth, go to your room right now! How dare you speak to me that way, I’m your mother!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Alice, quit it. Betty, go upstairs, now.” Hal chimed in, growing angry with the both of them._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty didn’t hesitate. She threw her napkin down on the table, the chair screeching against the wooden floor as she stood up. She didn’t give either of her parents a second glance as she stormed upstairs, anger and disappointment coursing through her veins. Betty was not only sick of her mother controlling her life, but also ruining every good thing for her. She flopped down on her bed, willing the tears to fall from her eyes._ _ _ _ _ _

______But they never came._ _ _ _ _ _

______\------------------------------------------------------------------  
Jughead and Toni went the whole weekend without talking to each other. _ _ _ _ _ _

______Once he had dropped Betty off at home on Friday night, he made his way back to Pop’s, where Veronica and Toni stood outside waiting for him. Toni pretended that everything was fine between them in front of Veronica, but as soon as her driver picked her up she turned cold and quiet. He knew they should probably talk through it, as the spark that was once dwindling between them was fading away, and they both could feel it. Instead, he dropped her off at home, Toni only speaking to him to say goodnight. She told him she would be busy with schoolwork for the rest of the weekend, so he busied himself with Serpent related things._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead didn’t realize how fucked up he was becoming until Saturday night, when his thoughts wandered to Betty. Why was he thinking about the strawberry-milkshake-loving blonde more than his own girlfriend?_ _ _ _ _ _

______He was drinking a cold beer down at the Wyrm, trying to ease his mind from any thoughts related to Betty. His friend Sweet Pea, also the bartender of the place, was keeping him company._ _ _ _ _ _

______“What’s up, boss man?” He asked Jughead, leaning against the counter to talk to him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Nothing really, Pea.” He shrugged, not wanting to get into his personal business._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Trouble in paradise?” Sweet Pea suggested, referring to Toni who he had been seeing less and less of._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead sighed. “I don’t know what’s going on between us. We’re drifting apart, I think. But neither of us are doing anything to stop it.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“That’s okay, man. You guys have had a good run, been together for nearly 3 years. Some flames die out, it’s okay if yours does too.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“We haven’t really acknowledged it, though.” Jughead admitted. “I mean, she’s never been more distant, but she’s also really busy with school and such. Not to mention, her dad hates me and wants nothing to do with me.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______He purposely left out the part about how a certain blonde girl was interfering with his thoughts a lot of the time now._ _ _ _ _ _

______“You should talk it out. If you decide to work on it, great. If you decide to call it quits, also great. You gotta do whatever’s best for you, man.” Sweet Pea said._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead nodded, finishing off his beer as he pondered what his friend had just told him._ _ _ _ _ _

______\-----------------------------------------------------------------------_ _ _ _ _ _

______ _ _ _ _

______The week went by fairly quickly._ _ _ _ _ _

______On Monday, Toni tried out for the cheer team, securing her spot on the squad swiftly as Cheryl accepted her in right away. Jughead congratulated his girlfriend but didn’t speak any further on the issue between them. The Bulldogs had a football game on Friday night, and the Vixens spent almost every day after school practicing for it. Betty felt strange without Veronica glued to her side, as she was so used to her best friend always being right next to her. However, Toni had quickly replaced her and Betty was pushed farther to the back. She didn’t care that much, she had other things to worry about. Like how her sister was coming to visit this weekend and she didn’t know what would happen when she arrived._ _ _ _ _ _

______Friday night rolled around just like the rest of the week. Before she knew it, Betty was walking along the football field in her cheer uniform, pompoms in hand. She was shocked as she noticed Jughead standing a little bit away from the rest of the crowd._ _ _ _ _ _

______Obviously, he was here for Toni, but she still didn’t expect to see him._ _ _ _ _ _

______She kept her eyes on Jughead throughout the game, more concerned with him than the ongoing football game. The Bulldogs ended up winning, and it was nearing 9:30PM when the game finished. She spotted Toni go say hi to Jughead, but the interaction seemed rushed and forced. She heard Veronica mention that she and Toni were going back to her house to have a movie night, but it was past Betty’s curfew and she knew her mother wouldn’t allow her to sleepover Veronica’s with such late notice._ _ _ _ _ _

______After she changed back into her regular clothes and bid goodnight to the rest of the girls, she exited the building, shocked to see Jughead leaning against the brick wall outside._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Hey, Jughead.” Betty greeted him, slightly confused. “You know Toni left with Veronica a little while ago, right?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“I’m aware.” He announced. “I was just wondering if you’d like to grab a bite to eat at Pop’s? I’m starving, and I know you could always go for a strawberry milkshake.” He smirked._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty was taken aback by his suggestion. He wanted to hangout with her? _Alone? _____ _ _ _ _

________“I would love to,” She started. “But it’s already past my curfew and my dad’s going to be here to pick me up any second.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“Mommy Cooper let you break curfew for the football game?” He teased._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________She rolled her eyes playfully. “She only lets me because I would get kicked off the squad otherwise, and that wouldn’t look good for _college applications _, according to her.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Come on, Betty…” He said, enticing her. “I’m sure she’s going to bed soon anyway. You could go home, pretend to go in your room for the night and then sneak out once the coast is clear.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“How exactly do you think that’s going to happen?” Betty asked incredulously. “You clearly don’t know Alice Cooper. Plus, there’s no way for me to escape through the front or back door without her knowing.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You don’t have a ladder or something?” He suggested._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well, my dad has one, it’s in the garage I think.” She notified him, a smirk making its way to his face once she said this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That’s perfect… I’ll set the ladder up in front of your window, as long as you tell me which one is your room. Then you climb down and leave your window open a crack. Your mom will never know.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“All of this for some chili cheese fries at Pop’s?” Betty teased. “You’re crazy, Jughead Jones.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“A man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.” He shrugged._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Fine.” She agreed. “I have to go now, my dad’s here. Come to my house at 10 and make sure you don’t park your bike anywhere near my house. The address is 111 Elm Street, my window is the first one on the left side of the house, after you open the gate.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“See you then, Cooper.” He smirked._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Half an hour later, Betty was pacing her room as the reality of what she was about to do hit her. Once Hal and Betty had arrived home, he immediately went into his bedroom and Alice joined not long after. She triple-checked to make sure she didn’t hear any movement coming from in there, but the door was closed and Betty had no way of knowing for sure that they were asleep. She hoped for the best as she made her way to her room, locking the door and getting changed into different clothes. She opted for comfort, putting on a pair of leggings and a grey and white quarter sleeve top, which was very different from her usual pastels. She also decided to take her hair out of its ponytail, letting her waves tumble down freely. Once she was all dressed and was waiting for any movement outside her window, she shut off the light in her room and turned the night light on, trying her best to make it seem like she was asleep in there._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________At 10:01PM, she heard the sound of Jughead moving the ladder around by her window. She peered down, seeing him looking up. He had his signature smirk on his face as he signaled for her to make her way down._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She took one last look around her room, grabbing her phone and bag before opening the window quietly. She cringed when it squeaked the slightest bit, but no movement from her parent’s bedroom was heard and she made her way down the ladder._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Once she was on the ground, she grinned at Jughead. She was very excited that she managed to make it out without getting caught so far, but Betty knew she still had a long way to go before she could be completely relieved._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Your hair.” Jughead pointed, staring at it intently._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What?” Betty panicked as she went to grab her hair in its ponytail before remembering it was down. “Oh, yeah. My hair’s down.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It looks really pretty like that.” Jughead blurted out, coughing a little once he realized what he said. “I mean, it looks good. Yeah, it looks good.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Thanks.” Betty blushed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Come on, let’s go stuff our faces at Pop’s.” He said, signaling her to leave the gate first._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She laughed, walking out of the gate and into her driveway as he followed behind. “More like you stuff your face.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m sure Betty Cooper could take down a mean cheeseburger. You definitely have it in you, I know it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She shook her head. “I probably couldn’t even eat half of it before getting full. Strawberry milkshakes, though, there is an unlimited amount of room in my stomach for those.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ll have the other half then.” Jughead decided as they approached his motorcycle, which was parked at the top of her street._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Shit.” She cursed as she realized her mistake. “I forgot my jacket.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You can wear mine. Only for the ride, though.” Jughead offered, already shrugging out of his Serpent leather jacket._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She looked hesitant, but she didn’t want to risk going back in her room to get a jacket. Plus, all of her warmer jackets were shoved at the back of her closet and it would make too much noise to get one out of there. She accepted the jacket from him, a chill rolling through her as she put it on. She was wearing a fucking gang member’s jacket. Not just a member, a leader._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He handed her the helmet as well, which she strapped on before joining him on the bike._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He made sure she was ready before he pulled away, to which she nodded. She held on tight as they breezed through the streets of her hometown. In a weird sense, it felt sort of romantic. But then she was reminded that the guy in front of her had a girlfriend, and suddenly there was a weird taste in her mouth. The five-minute ride there was completely silent, and Betty wasn’t surprised to see that the parking lot was almost totally empty save for a few cars._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________As Jughead pulled into a parking spot, Betty found herself grateful that it was dead in Pop’s. She didn’t want to have to see any Riverdale High football players there having a post-win celebration._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She gave him back his jacket once they were both off the bike, Betty thanking him quietly. They made their way up to the door, being served to a table in the back corner once again, but this time the opposite side of the diner than last time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’ll be right back to take your order.” The kind waitress announced as the two settled into the booth opposite one another. Jughead nodded and Betty thanked her as she walked away._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“So, do you think you’ll take me up on my offer and order a burger?” Jughead asked her as she browsed through the menu._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hm… A cheeseburger does sound really good right now.” Betty proclaimed. “As long as you promise to eat my leftovers, then we have a deal.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Betty, I could eat both your burger and mine with no problem. Leftovers are a piece of cake.” He said proudly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She laughed, knowing that it was true. The waitress came back not long after, Betty ordering a cheeseburger and a strawberry milkshake. Jughead ordered the same, but with a double chocolate shake instead. She noticed he only ordered regular fries this time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“What happened, finally realized chili cheese fries are gross?” Betty teased, smiling at him._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Nope. Just like to switch it up sometimes.” He shrugged. “So, Betty, how long have you been a cheerleader?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________She was surprised by his question. “Um, I tried out at the beginning of sophomore year, but only because Veronica made me. My mom wasn’t too thrilled by it, but once I told her how good it would look for college she allowed me to stay on the team.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It seems like your mom controls everything in your life.” Jughead observed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“She does, basically. She wants both her daughters to be the best at everything, and always pushes us to be perfect all of the time. So, she controls our lives to be that way.” Betty admitted, feeling weird for telling Jughead this._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You have a sister?” He asked, the eye contact between them becoming really intense._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yeah. Her name’s Polly. She’s away at college. She’s actually coming to visit tomorrow.” Betty told him, fiddling with her fingers._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“That’s nice.” Jughead said, giving her a genuine smile. “You seem like a great person, Betty Cooper. I’m sorry that your mom treats you the way that she does.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s alright, I’m used to it.” She shrugged, waving the severity of the situation off. “So, is that how this works? You get to ask me a question and then I get to ask you a question?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Jughead raised an eyebrow. “If you’d like to play twenty questions, then sure. Hit me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Why are you in the Serpents?” Betty asked, getting right to the point. “Not that there’s anything wrong with it, just genuinely curious about your involvement.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Uh, well.” He cleared his throat, looking a little wary to be talking about this. “To be honest, my dad was the leader of the Serpents for many years. It was kind of just inevitable that I would become leader once he got sent to jail.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Oh.” Betty nodded, stunned by the information. _What could his dad have possibly done to land himself in jail? _____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Drug deal gone wrong.” Jughead answered before she could ask. “So, what do you do for fun, Betty Cooper? And don’t tell me anything that your mom _makes _you do.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“Well, I love to read,” Betty answered honestly. “That might make me sound like a nerd, but it’s true. Especially crime novels, those are my favorite. It’s something that really interests me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I used to be such a bookworm when I was younger.” He admitted out loud. “Always had a book with me everywhere I went. I also loved to write.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“What would you write about?” Betty asked, genuinely curious._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________“I suppose you could call it a journal of sorts. I wrote about my past experiences, whether it be with love or family trauma. One time I even tried writing a fiction novel about my own life, but I gave up on it when I started running with the Serpents.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________There was a brief pause in conversation as their food was set down on the table in front of them. Betty gave the waitress a smile of gratitude, immediately popping a fry in her mouth._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

______________Jughead took his first bite of his burger, just as messily as he had the week before. “My turn to ask a question. When I first met you in the parking lot at Riverdale High, my first impression of you was that you were the perfect Northside Princess with everything anyone could ever want in life. So, since I know you definitely had one… What was your first impression of me?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

_______________How was she supposed to say that her first thought when she saw him was that he was the most gorgeous thing she had ever laid eyes on? ____ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Well, the first thing I noticed about you was the leather jacket, besides the motorcycle obviously. It was kind of intriguing actually, seeing a Serpent at Riverdale High. I don’t really remember what I thought of you.” She lied. “I mean, I certainly didn’t judge you off of your leather jacket, because I would never judge someone like that. But it kind of stood out to me, for obvious reasons.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________He took a big gulp from his milkshake before answering. “Fair enough. I guess you had the better judgement between us, since I was so quick to assume you were just a Northside Princess.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________She laughed, shaking her head. “Nope. Not me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Your turn.” He nodded at her, watching as she took a small bite out of her burger. She hadn’t even made a dent in it yet._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Umm…” She thought. Betty didn’t know if she was crossing any boundaries by bringing this up, but she had to ask. “How long have you and Toni been together?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Jughead visibly stiffened at the mention of his girlfriend. “Uh, close to 3 years. I’ve known her since childhood, though. We grew up in the same trailer-park.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“That’s nice.” Betty forced a smile, feeling like she couldn’t handle any more of her burger._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“What about you?” He questioned, avoiding eye contact. “Ever had a boyfriend?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Unless you count third grade, no.” She answered honestly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Really?” Jughead found that hard to believe. With a girl as beautiful as Betty, there was no way she had never had a boyfriend before._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yup.” She nodded, sipping her milkshake. “I wasted most of my teenage years pining over my neighbor who didn’t like me back. Not that I had many options at Riverdale High but, yeah. You could blame my lack of boyfriends on Archie Andrews.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Sounds like a douchebag name.” Jughead snorted._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You could say that.” Betty agreed. “He’s a nice guy, just wasn’t into me, which is okay. He’s the Captain of the football team, so you’re not far off in saying he’s a douchebag, or at least has a douchebag name.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Jughead couldn’t suppress his laugh. “Really, Betty? A football player? I expected better from you...”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________She shook her head, giggling at his teasing tone. “Not my proudest moment.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________They talked and talked and talked for so long, until the time on her phone said it was past midnight, which meant she really should be getting home. Her sister was arriving at 8AM tomorrow morning and Betty still needed to mentally prepare herself._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Jughead ended up eating the rest of her burger, and she protested when he paid for the meal. She felt bad, offering him some money from her purse that he refused to take. When they got on his bike to head back to her house, she felt a sense of sadness flow through her. She got to wear his jacket again, the smell of him invading her senses and making her hyper aware of every part of her body._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________As the bike halted to a stop, Betty removed the helmet and shrugged off the jacket, handing both of them to him. “Thank you for tonight, Jughead.” She smiled, a blush creeping its way to her face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Anytime, Betts.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Her heart fluttered at the nickname. She was about to walk away when he stood from his bike. “Why are you getting up?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“You need someone to put that ladder back in your garage, silly.” He explained._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Oh, right!” She nodded, following him as he began to walk down her street._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Once they made it to the ladder leading up to her window, she turned to say goodnight._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Betty?” He said quietly before she could._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yes?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Do you think it’s okay if we exchange numbers?” He asked her, looking scared that she would say no._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Yeah, sure, just give me your phone and I’ll put my number in.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________Once she entered her phone number into his contacts, she handed him back his phone and smiled at him widely._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Goodnight, Jughead.” She practically whispered._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________“Goodnight, Betty.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________________That night, in their separate sides of town, Betty and Jughead laid wide awake in their beds, thinking about the night they had just spent together._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
